The Rules of the household 1876 style
The following was actually published in 1876 by a women
Each household should have a separate home in order that parents may have uninterrupted confidence between themselves and entire control over their children.
The father should indirectly rule the house. His wishes, expressed or understood, should be law; the household arrangements should be made with a view to his comfort and convenience. He is the bread-winner; and his work lies chiefly abroad. He should not in any way, be troubled with household matters; this is the wife’s province. The wife who sees her husband toiling and striving, yet does not exert herself to the utmost to give him the comfort of his earnings, is unworthy of her title, and is guilty of the grossest selfishness.
The mother is queen of the home, which she directly governs, being guided in her government by her husband’s wishes. She should devote herself to what is her true life-work being herself a fit help for her husband, making the home a delight, and training her children into good and noble men and women. The natural place of the wife and mother is at home. Her presence is essential there, and under no ordinary circumstances should she go out to earn money. The husband and those members of the household who are abroad during the day, should suffer no inconvenience from house hold work; to them, home should be the place of rest.
The children in a household must be in perfect subjection to their parents, otherwise there cannot be peace at home. As early as possible the little ones should be encouraged to help their mother.
In factory districts it is quite common for the wife and mother to go out to work; in consequence, the children especially the girls are untrained. There is no comfort in the home; the incomes through large yields little return, being swallowed up in the purchase of expensive food and unsuitable clothing. The former is spoiled by bad cookery and the latter by slatternly neglect. The father and brothers are driven from home to seek elsewhere the comfort and the cheerful companionship that should refresh them after their day’s labour; and this evil, going on from generation to generation causes much of the improvidence and intemperance so sadly rife among British workmen.
Choice of a dwelling the outlay for rent and taxes has been given at three-twentieths of the income – that is three shillings out of every pound earned. This may seem a large proportion; but it must be remembered that there is no economy in taking a low rented house in a close neighbourhood. An attack of fever in the family will sweep away in a few days all the savings effected in this way. It is a fact that hardworking middle-class people, anxious to bring up their children respectably, are willing to pay as much as this in order to secure a comfortable home.
This evil especially prevails in the coal districts, where cottages containing only one room, or at the most two, are the only habitations. They are provided by the colliery owners; and wretched hovels as they are, are tenanted by men who can easily earn three or four pounds a week. In such homes there can be no decency or comfort, and it cannot be wondered that the morals, manners, and tastes of the inhabitants are half brutalised. In some colliery villages comfortable dwellings have of late been provided, and the men have eagerly availed themselves of them; with the result of a most decided influence for good. The men live more at home, enjoy home comfort, and show evident marks of increased self respect and refined taste.
Washing clothes and the use of a washing machine.
In the north east of England the clothes are washed by pounding them in a barrel shaped tub with a heavy wooden instrument, or twisting and dashing them about, in the same kind of tub, with a long handled implement terminating in five rounded feet or pegs. By the latter plan, the clothes are worn in beating; and all three are very laborious occupations. Without some contrivance, however the work must be done by the hands and arms, which is more laborious still, especially when heavy articles are to be washed.
The use of soda and washing powders - most water contains lime in combination with carbonic acid; in proportion to the quantity it contains is the difficulty of cleansing with it. Since it is the tendency of lime, to harden whatever it touches. Soda and other alkaline substances have the power of drawing away lime, or loosening its connection with carbonic acid.
Boiling expels the acid, leaving the lime to fall on the bottom and sides of the vessel or on any substance the vessel may contain.
Bath-rooms or lavatories
However small the house may be, it should contain some place that can be used as a bath room or lavatory, where there is abundance of water, and where no injury will be caused by splashing. in an ordinary house, a light closet or a very small bedroom might be set apart for this purpose. it should contain washing apparatus only. And the floor should be covered with oil cloth to prevent the water from passing through the floor to the ceiling below. Such a room should be the general lavatory of the house. Confusion and dirt will thus be avoided in the bedrooms. besides thorough washing cannot be performed in sleeping apartments.
Bathing
The importance of bathing is sadly overlooked. Children in large towns grow up in ignorance of the delightful exhilarating effects of a plunge in plenty of water. Many workmen wash only hands and face in the morning; they are consequently languid, drowsy, and lacking in energy at their work; to throw off this feeling of lassitude, they often take beer or stronger stimulants, and a bad habit is incurred, which would have been avoided by a daily use of a bath, and care in ventilation of the sleeping room.
Bed rooms these should be as large as possible to contain a sufficient quantity of air for the sleepers breathing. If a man was shut up in a room or box measuring six feet by six feet he would die in an hour by the vapour of carbonic acid gas.
Sitting room many very comfortable and well managed homes do not allow a room being specially set apart as a sitting room, the kitchen serves also as a sitting room and dining room, and all the dirty work is performed in the scullery. The scullery should be fitted with a stove and with a copper for washing.
The parlour or drawing room if no servant is kept, it would be comfortable and convenient to keep as a sitting room. The parlour should be enjoyed by the household, and not shut up, but every member should understand that no work should take place and should be free from litter, and be ready for the reception of visitors.
The dining room should be on a level with the kitchen and not far from it
The duties of servants
The cook in a house where only two servants are kept prepares all the meals of the household, keeps clean the cooking utensils. She also cleans the front steps and the hall every morning. She also keeps the servants bedroom in order.. when a kitchen maid is employed she does the rougher portion of the work.
The scullery maid is kept to help the kitchen maid, she is employed to clean the cooking utensils in order, washing dishes, and doing the roughest part of the cleaning.
The housemaid takes charge of that part of the house that is inhabited by the family. She keeps clean the bedrooms , parlours and stairs, she also takes care of the glass, china etc. she also answers all the bells, except those used by the tradesmen.
The under maid works under the direction of the housemaid.
The parlour maid attends the family waits at the table, takes charge of the wine etc.
The laundry maid has full charge of the washing and ironing.
The nurse has full charge the children and their rooms
The nursery maid is the assistant to the nurse.
The maid of all work holds a position sometimes foolishly despised, but really an excellent one in the opportunities it affords of learning useful household duties.
Building societies if well managed afford safe and profitable modes of investment. A working man may use his savings in the purchase of shares which are paid for by weekly or monthly instalments. He then becomes entitled to a building site which he may use or sell to another member. The land costs him less because the building society buys a large plot, which is then divided up for the members. He can then build, the society furnishing with the necessary money on the security of the plot of land
Benefit societies afford a means of providing during sickness. Among the best are the foresters, the odd fellows, and the mutual provident alliance.